"I don't remember anything. The last thing I remember is being severely beaten by that bastard. So if you know anything, please tell me."
Maldo's face was expressionless, but it spoke volumes about the difficulties he had been through.
Daniel couldn't answer right away. Thoughts rushed through his head, one after another, as if they were slapping him nonstop. "What am I hearing?! He lost his memory?! Even his name!
Damn... It never even occurred to me to ask him about it. Damn it!"
But he quickly regained his composure and replied, "I'm sorry, I don't know much about you."
It wasn't the answer he was hoping for, but he accepted the reality and clenched his fists. "It's okay, no need to apologize, I expected that."
Daniel's features reflected an unmistakable strangeness; a contradictory mixture of suppressed annoyance and deliberate calm. He leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, kept his eyes on him, smiled, and said in a voice that carried a hint of warmth:
"I've prepared a room for you. Don't worry, no one will bother you anymore, young man.
You can leave now. You'll find it at the end of the hallway."
"A room for me?!" Maldo was amazed, feeling as if he were in a dream. He hadn't expected to get a room instead of a cell.
Daniel nodded silently, then pointed toward the door, a slight gesture that carried a single meaning: Get out.
Maldo got up slowly, his eyes catching a sly glint in Daniel's gaze. He stood at the door of the room, then turned back to Daniel and smiled quietly, which was not his habit. "Thank you, Silver. My name is Maldo now."
He turned quickly before hearing another word and left the room with measured steps.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Daniel reached for his waist and took out his gun, holding it and turning it lightly between his fingers, playing with it. The first thing that came to his mind.
"Maldo Ha! ... He's lost his memory. Ah... Lord Ricardo will be really sad!"
Maldo was walking quietly down the hallway, and after taking a few steps, Luca suddenly appeared beside him, walking in sync with him.
Maldo was not startled, but glanced at him and then returned his gaze to the road.
"I think this is your favorite facial expression...
Honestly, you should be happy, you just got your own room." Luca grumbled at Maldo's cold and sharp features.
Maldo stopped walking and, without turning to him, said, "It's not what you think, you idiot. I just lost my last hope of finding a clue about myself."
Luca's annoyance subsided. He understood that Maldo needed time to get used to his new self.
Maldo continued down the hallway, followed by Luca, his hands clasped across his chest, his eyes following his friend with a look that mixed sadness and distraction.
Until they reached the new room. Maldo
stood at the door and couldn't bring himself to open it right away. He paused for a few seconds and thought.
Behind this door was his room, a different place, a new place.
"Aren't you going to go in?" Luca interrupted his thoughts, nudging him repeatedly on the shoulder.
He regained his focus, pushed the wooden door open, and entered. The room was simple but cozy; there was a small bed in the corner and a lamp that gave off a dim light.
But what caught his attention was not the furniture, but Sally, whom he found there bent over the table, quietly cleaning it. A cold expression appeared on his face as he stared at her, before whispering:
"Red... What are you doing here?"
Sally trembled and turned around quickly. "I'm cleaning the room as I was asked to... Please, don't be angry!"
He didn't care at first. He continued walking and sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed on her red hair, which glistened in the dim light.
"You can stop. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," he said to her.
Luca approached and whispered in Maldo's ear, "It's the same girl from the hallway earlier!"
Sally stood nervously until she heard Maldo's voice. She smiled, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest. She walked slowly toward him until she was very close, asking in a warm tone:
"What's your name? Is this your first day here?"
Curiosity was clearly written all over her face. This didn't bother Maldo at all. He kept staring into her green eyes, which sparkled with childlike enthusiasm.
Then he gently reached out his hand to push her away a little. "You can call me Maldo."
She replied quickly, a warm smile spreading across her lips, while her cheeks flushed like a flower surprised by spring:
"Maldo... It's a beautiful name, it suits you perfectly."
His cheeks flushed with a slight blush, a strange feeling warming his heart despite its usual coldness. He wasn't used to hearing such kind words, so he reached out to touch the ends of his hair as if trying to calm his nerves.
"Thank you," he said to her.
"What! Even a cold guy like you has a delicate face!" Luca laughed and commented on Maldo's features.
Maldo stopped watching her for a moment. Then he felt a little curious about her.
"You...you didn't tell me about yourself. You're new here, aren't you?" he asked her.
Sally stopped what she was doing, turned to him with an innocent smile, and answered. "I'm Sally... My job is just cleaning. I used to work at an orphanage, but they kicked me out onto the street when they found out about my illness. That's when I met Mr. Daniel, and he brought me here... Let me see. I think that was a week ago."
Because of her words, which rushed toward him all at once, he stopped blinking. Then he composed himself and asked her.
"That's... terrible. May I ask you, what exactly is your illness?"
Sally tilted her head slightly, put her finger on the side of her head, and smiled calmly as if she were talking about something normal:
I have a "little monster" in my head... That's what my mother told me before she died a short while ago.
Actually, I was told that my mother died from the same illness. To be honest, I didn't even see her body. Everything happened so suddenly. Then one of the nannies came and told me that my mother had died, then kicked me out, and that's how I ended up here."
Maldo couldn't say anything to her. He was like someone who had been electrocuted.
Without hearing anything else from him, Sally ran hastily toward the door. Before leaving, she turned to him and waved her hand with a smile. "Let's talk again, Maldo."
He stared at the door, lost in a daze he couldn't explain. Suddenly.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Luca stood in front of him and clapped his hands, interrupting his train of thought, and pointed to himself. "I'm here too! Did you forget about me?"
"Luca... What little monster are you talking about?" Maldo asked curiously, still feeling something strange.
Luca sat down at the table indifferently and smiled faintly. "Oh! ... Didn't you understand what 'little monster' meant? I think it's what you humans call a brain disease or something like that. But there's something strange. I don't know why her mother said that to her like that."
"A brain disease! That's bad, isn't it?!" Maldo's face crumpled with sadness.
Luca nodded to him. Maldo was shocked, imagining how Sally could endure all that and still smile.
Unable to say anything else, he curled up on the bed and hugged the pillow tightly, his eyes fixed on the wall.
Poor Sally. I wish I could help her, even a little.
He thought for a moment, then minutes or hours passed, and he didn't feel them, until he sank into a deep, heavy sleep, as if his body and soul needed a break from the shock of reality.
The next morning, Maldo woke up with a strange feeling of calm, to find Luca sitting in the same place, his eyes bright and alert as if he hadn't closed them the night before.
"Didn't you sleep?!" Maldo was surprised that he had stayed there all night without moving.
Luca smiled smugly and looked at him sarcastically. "No... I don't need to sleep like you humans. I am a great spirit."
Maldo ignored him completely and got out of bed. Luca shuddered at being ignored and growled. "Hey! I just spoke to you!"
But Maldo just smiled slightly and didn't answer him either.
He was enjoying teasing him.
But Luca didn't let him get his chance. Suddenly, Luca disappeared before his eyes with his magical powers, then reappeared in front of him. "Look at me, you little fool, and tell me. Where are you going?"
This time, his eyes were fixed straight ahead, carrying a deep coldness. "To that place stuck in my head. The square."
"Okay. I don't understand, but of course I'll come with you," Luca said, suddenly feeling excited.
Maldo neither refused nor accepted, but simply began to walk calmly. His mind was barely occupied with a few thoughts.
If my memory serves me correctly, the place called "the square" is reserved for training and stupid meetings.
If that's the case, I can easily hone my powers and crush that bastard's pride.
They arrived at the square. It was a spacious, semi-enclosed area with high ceilings and huge columns supporting the walls. Various training tools were scattered around the place, some old and some new.
"Oh... oh, is this the place called the courtyard?" asked Luca.
"Yes, it is," replied Maldo, scanning the entire place.
There were indeed some guards training hard around the courtyard. Some were grappling with their hands, and some with sticks.
But they stopped as soon as they saw Maldo enter. They froze in their places, surprise beginning to show on their faces. Then whispers began to rise.
"Look over there..."
"Yes... It's that little boy."
The guards whispered among themselves in low voices, their expressions a mixture of shock and curiosity, as if Maldo's entrance into the courtyard was completely unexpected.
"Hmm, looks like you're famous, kid." Luca laughed at the sight of the guards and commented sarcastically.